Dissidia: Shadowgate
by DarkSoul26
Summary: The warriors of Cosmos have been reunited, but before they go home they have to complete one final task and investigate the castle of Shadowgate.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"Cosmos...Now I know what you've left behind."

The ten warriors watched the god of discord, Chaos, wither in pain. The Edge of Madness, Chaos's shrine, started to tremble and there were numerous explosions all around them. The world was collapsing and suddenly the crystals started to glow as bright as day. One by one the ten pawns of Cosmos started to disappear in flashes of light. They heard the fallen god's last words, "Begone, mortals." and there was nothing but whiteness.

A castle loomed in the distance. After a few seconds they ended up in a lush, fertile field where all kinds of flowers and trees grew. A sparkling clear lake was behind them and the weather was pleasant. A cool breeze blew and birds sang their peaceful tunes in the air. The warriors looked stunned at their new surroundings. They were at the Cornelia Plains.

The Warrior of Light, the leader of the group, sighed in relief for the first time. "The battle has come to an end." Then the heroes congratulated themselves as he remembered the fate of the fallen warriors in the previous cycle.

Lightning, a pink-haired soldier; Kain, a Dragoon; Yuna, a summoner; Vaan, a wannabe sky pirate; Laguna, a gun wielder; and Tifa, a fist brawler each layed lifelessly on a grassy field at Order's Sanctuary. The Warrior of Light watched as they each glowed, risen, and faded as a dragon made of radiant light claimed them. Lightning was the last one as she smiled at him and dissipated. He bowed his head sadly since they never returned.

Terra, a young girl of magics, brought him out of his reverie as she laid a hand on his broad shoulder. "Hey, why do you look so sad?" she spoke quietly.

"It's nothing you would want to know..."

There was a pause, then she asked "Did someone die?"

"Yes..."

"Is it...Cosmos?"

"Hey, guys?" Bartz, the mimic warrior, curiously marched up to the duo. "I just remembered something...There were some other warriors besides us. We haven't seen them in awhile. Do you know where they went?" he asked facing the lone warrior.

Soon that same question brought everyone's attention. They stopped talking to one another and everything became silent. With a deep breath, he turned toward his friends.

"Everyone...I have some horrible news for you. In the previous cycle, there were other warriors of Cosmos besides us. In total, there were six. I wasn't going to tell you before facing Chaos because...this is very tragic."

They all started to mutter at once.

"These other men and women befriended and trusted us. Their mission was to stop Chaos's forces and obtain their crystals. But instead they've decided to stop the endless horde of manikins. Those brave souls journeyed to the center of the Interdimensional Rift. They destroyed the portal that connected their world to ours. Once it was closed, each one gave their last ounce of strength then perished. Their souls were lifted and never seen again."

Everyone can barely speak. Cloud, Cecil, Tidus, Firion, and Terra had flashbacks on how they first met the fallen warriors and were devastated since they didn't even say goodbye.

The Paladin fell to his knees and his face reddened as he tried to hold back his tears. "Kain...you're gone...?"

Terra sobbed as she covered her face. "V-Vaan...I can't believe you're dead...!"

Cloud was the most stupefied. "Tifa...I didn't get a chance to..."For the first time he cried as a small tear dropped from the corner of his eye. Her death reminded him of his old friend, Zack, as he passed on.

Firion bowed his head so low, he was actually looking at the roots rather then the wild roses. He held his flower close to his heart and whimpered "Lightning...I promise that...I promise I'll make a grave and give the rose to you...Your death shall not be in vain" He swiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

Squall was the only one who didn't cry; in fact, his face showed no emotion at all. On the outside, he looked like he didn't care about Laguna's death. But deep down he was a wreck. He wished he'd known him more and gotten to know his jokes and light-heartedness. He sat and sulked under a tree with his Gunblade stuck in the ground. "This would make a mediocre memorial." he thought.

Tidus turned away from the group to hide his emotions. "Yuna...? I never got to know you, nor understood you. But I'll always remember you...summoner..." he cried hard and no one noticed since they were wrapped up in their grief.

They weren't aware of their crystals, as they glowed and made their tears glisten in the light. One by one everybody disappeared to their correspondent worlds...or so they thought.

* * *

When the warriors disappeared, Cosmos's voice was heard. It was kind of strange since Chaos perished her.

"Warriors of harmony, you've defeated the god of discord and brought peace to the world. The crystals bestowed you the strength to do so, but I have given you one more task. Before you return to your homes, you must meet the wizard of the castle of Stormhaven. He will provide you information about your next quest; to investigate the fortress of Shadowgate. If you succeed, you will all go back to your homes you once knew. However, if you fail, you will perish. Go to the castle, your journey awaits you!"

When they opened their eyes they realized they were still together, in a deep forest. They looked at their surroundings in awe.

"We're...still together. But where are we?" Firion queried.

As they found themselves, they noticed that the Warrior of Light was no longer with them.

"Why isn't he with us?" Terra asked.

"It seems the Cornelia Plains was his homeworld and left us here." said Cecil still in his Paladin form.

"Hmmm. The last thing I remember was Cosmos...speaking to me. She said we should find a castle called Stormhaven and talk to someone there." Cloud added.

"We might as well, if that is what she wishes." Firion suggested.

Over the tall tress there was a bright castle with white towers, the pawns went straight to it. After entering a clearing a gateway awaited them.

* * *

Lightning, Vaan, Yuna, Laguna, Tifa, and Kain were sitting in the courtyard. They were discussing how and why they ended up being here instead of their homes.

"What are we doing here?" Tifa asked in disbelief. "Shouldn't we be in our homeworlds by now?"

"I actually thought we'd be dead...since we closed the portal to the Rift." Vaan said.

Laguna used his usual gesture. He rubbed his chin in deep thought. "Hmmm. That may be so. But it seems like we've been given a second chance. All I can remember is seeing a bright light and heard Cosmos speaking to me."

"Yes. I remember it, too. Maybe we are still alive." Yuna gasped. "I might be able to see Tidus and Jecht after all."

"Don't dwell on that." Kain spoke in his monotone. "We're still here, and the wizard told us to stay here until the other warriors show up." Then he thought aloud. "At least there are no manikins. But we're still in this strange world. Maybe we're not alive, but rather in purgatory."

"I'm not sure why we have to stay here. It feels like forever since we destroyed that portal." Lightning intervened impatiently. "I wish we could just go home already if it wasn't Cosmos's last words."

Then everyone stopped talking and looked perplexed as they sat like a bunch of inanimate dolls.

* * *

Meanwhile Firion and the others wandered the outside of the castle seeing bards and townsfolk passing by. As they passed, they stopped and stared. They have never seen these people before and wondered where they came from.

"Is this the place?" Luneth asked.

"Looks like it." Firion answered.

A jester stepped in front of him and said in a joyful tone. "Hi, welcome to Stormhaven! Ooo, you must be weary from yor travelers. Eh-why don't you rest at our courtyard and stand before our holiness, Lakmir, when you're ready. Ta ta!"

He hopped away and Terra muttered "That sure isn't like Kefka."

"No, that is actually a real jester." Bartz observed.

"And we are in Stormhaven, we're in the right place!" Zidane beamed.

"Let's rest for a couple minutes and meet ourselves to the king. We've been travelling for miles." Firion recommended.

As they went over the drawbridge and through the massive doors the castle was full of activity. Chickens clucked in their coupes. Peasants were busy at work. And some of them were talking rumors about the land being threatened by an evil being. This rminded Cecil of Baron, and Firion reminisced about the strongholds of Fynn and Altair.

As they walked on two guards in navy blue armor stood on eaach side of the next room closed by a door with a circular handle. One asked "May I help all of ye?"

"What brings ye here to Stormhaven?" queried the other.

Firion stepped forward. "We're looking for the wizard, Lakmir. We wish to see him."

"Bah! How do we know ye're not messengers of the dreaded warlock lord?"

"The who?" Bartz asked.

"The what?" Luneth added.

"I'm sorry travelers, but we've been in peril by the warlock and his minions. They lurk from a dark castle known as Shadowgate."

Firion thought agog. "Shadowgate! That was the castle Cosmos was talking about!"

"We're here to help. We've heard about Shadowgate from..." Cecil's head bowed. "...a fallen goddess."

"Then it must be true! Ye're all welcome to stand before him! My pardons!" Slowly the doors opened and the team went in.

* * *

Lightning and her comrades heard the rumble of the opening doors. They shielded their eyes as they made out an army of warriors. As their eyes cleared they saw Firion, Terra, Cloud, Tidus, Squall, Cecil, and the others standing before them.

"It's them! They're here!" Yuna cheered.

They walked to them and embraced them as they talked all at once how and why they got here. As the conversation quieted, Tifa asked "Where is he?"

"Oh, you mean, Warrior?" Terra asked.

"He didn't come with us. He stayed at Cornelia and left us here." Firion explained.

"Well, that's a relief." Lightning said. "I was never too fond about him and his fairy tales anyway. Although I should warn you that Kain is-"

Before she could finish there were trumpets blowing. The same jester appeared. "Hear ye! The warriors of Stormhaven has come!" He walked to them and escorted them to the throne room. "Please come with me."

A tiny mage with pointy ears put her hands on her hips. And on the other side there was a young Elvaan girl with long purple hair. She beamed with delight as she greeted herself.

"What's up, y'all? I'm Prishe, one of the so-called warriors summoned by this guy over here." She pointed at Lakmir.

"Ahem. My name is Shantotto, can't you see? It's going to take awhile to get along with me."

"What're you doing here?!" Vaan asked irritated at Prishe.

"Oh, we came to help you on this 'quest' that Cosmos assigned us to. And this wizard here will explain it all. Take it away..." She did some air quotes "Highness."

The majestic wizard stood up and put his tall wand aside. He waved his hands and said "Within the castle, Shadowgate, lies your quest. The dreaded warlock lord will use his black magic to raise the behemoth from the depths of combination of his evil arts and the great titan's power will surely destroy all of the world."

He pointed to Firion and the others "You are all the last of the line of our defense, the seeds of prophecy that were foretold eons ago. Only you can stop the evil one from darkening our world forever."

Firion declared to stop the warlock and bring peace to the kingdom and beyond. "We will do it! If it's to save this world and many others. That was a wish from a fallen goddess and we shall fulfill it!"

"I've assigned these two fine mages to assist thee. Please stop the dark warlock and the behemoth!"

"Will do!" Firion nodded.

"Fare thee well!" and he and his party were off to the castle.

He wished there were some Chocobos to make the journey more faster, but they had no choice but to go on foot.

* * *

**A/N: Well, here's the Dissidia x-over. This takes place after the 12th and 13th cycles. As the conflict drew to a close, everyone realized there were still some warriors that have fallen recently, particularly Kain, Tifa, Yuna, Laguna, Vaan, and Lightning. Now all of 'em wound up in Stormhaven for a final mission from Cosmos, a last hurrah before they return home, if successful.**

**Hope you guys will like this fic. And hey, the warriors that have been defeated in Duodecim gotta go somewhere, right?**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

As the warriors of the fallen goddess, Cosmos, exit the forest they see a wooden door with iron hinges on a stone wall. This reminded of the many castles each of the warriors have explored in their homeworlds. What was different from all of them was a skull of some sort of creature.

"Could it be a dragon?" Luneth thought aloud.

"Clearly death lurks inside. Its best if we all stay alert and stick together." Firion suggested.

Bartz stepped on something hard and as he looked, the soil looked as if it was disturbed. Curiously, he brushed away the dirt revealing a shiny object. It was a small, silver key. "Hey, look what I found!" he cried as he held it high for everyone to see.

It gleamed under the sunlight and he handed it to Firion who opened the door. A loud, shrieking noise was heard as they walked inside. The foyer was very spacious and a dome celing towered over their heads. It looked to be approximately fifty feet high. The walls dimmed as two torches burned in their pedestals. To the right was a locked door and in the center was another wooden door. As the group settled, there was a cold blast of wind and the door behind them closed with a bang. The room darkened and they heard a low, deep cackle.

"That pitiful wizard, Lakmir, was a fool to send bufoons like you to stop me. You will surely regret it for the only thing here for you is a horrific death!"

Shantotto's face brightened and she let out a bellied laugh. "Ohohohoho! You are certainly one to talk, but could you be able to walk the walk?"

The voice didn't answer.

"This place is definitely full of traps and ruthless enemies..." Squall thought aloud.

"Indeed. But they can't stop us!" Everyone faced Firion as he spoke. "This warlock may not be an easy adversary. But as Lakmir said, we must prevent him from summoning the behemoth and destroy him. Our only chance to do that is by working together. Understand?"

Everyone nodded.

"If we stay together, we survive. We fight as one like we did with Chaos. That is how we shall prevail!" He took his Ragnorak out from the holster and stuck it in the air as he cheered. "To victory!" And so, the journey has bound to begun.

* * *

With the crystal shards removed and the wooden door unlocked, the warriors set foot on their quest. They entered a room consisting of granite descending stairs and a black book resting on a small platform extending from the left wall. It looked like an ancient tome and its pages looked as if they haven't been used in ages.

At the sight of the walls, Luneth began to shiver, "T-these walls seem uncomfortably close...I hope they don't cave in on us..."

Laguna gave a smack on his back. "Relax, dude. These walls are as sturdy as a tank."

To demonstrate he knocked on it and in astonishment, nothing happened. Luneth began to take a deep breath to calm his nerves. They grabbed the two lit torches and walked down the stairs but Zidane stopped them as he observed the black book.

"Hey! I wonder what this black book is for! I'm sure it'll help us beat this warlock lord to a cripple!"

As he reached for it, the floor collapsed from underneath! After they fell half of a foot, Prishe opened her palms and yelled, "Float!"

As if by magic, everyone was hovering but they were still below the ledge.

"Whew! That was a close one!" Zidane chimed. He looked at his hands and he was holding nothing but thin air, the book was missing. "Awwww man! I can't believe I lost it." he moaned.

"We can't dwell on that. Let's get to the top." Firion said.

He took out a grappling hook and pressed a small button on its handle. With a loud _whoosh_, it extended diagnally upwards and hit the top edge of the wall. He climbed up the rope and the rest of the fighters followed with Luneth and Shantotto bringing up the rear.

He saw a large stone at the corner of the back wall and decided to hit it with his blade. _Crack_! The noise grabbed everyone's attention as they looked back at the Onion stone was removed and he and Shantotto looked inside a dark tunnel.

"Mmmm. For a small pest, I am quite impressed." she praised.

"Hmm. Let's see what's in there." he wondered.

They peeked in and saw a handle on the left and right walls, and an arrow on the front wall. Luneth took it and curiously looked at one of the handles. He rubbed his chin, "I wonder if I do this..."

He reached and grabbed a torch on the left wall and the handle slipped down revealing a spiral staircase leading down.

"No way...Hey guys, check this out!" he hollered. The other warriors ventured in.

* * *

Inside they stood at the edge of a dark chasm. From the darkness below, they could hear the screams and the moans of the undead. Up ahead were two bridges. The left was made of stone and concrete leading to another chamber, while the right had a old, shabby bridge leading to a different place. It looked like it was in poor condition for anyone to stand on it. It would've collapsed since it was only made with frayed ropes and rotted planks.

Everyone whispered all at once at their surroundings.

"Welll, I suggest we head this way." Laguna pointed with a gung ho attitude.

Everyone walked across the stone bridge and suddenly a shadow wraith wrapped in a worn out cloak appeared out of nowhere in a flash of light.

"Whoa! I've never seen anything lie this! Unless...if we were to die or something." he concluded.

Tidus pushed in front, took out his Brotherhood sword and challenged it. "Well then! Look's like we got ourselves some fish to fry!"

Shantotto scolded as he appeared beside him. "Do not lose your head, or you'll meet certain death."

She pouted with her hands on her hips and Yuna stepped into the fray. "Let us fight together with all our strength."

First was Tidus who sliced the wraith. As a counterattack it casted Curse on him which prevented him to make his next move. Yuna used Esuna to reverse it and Shantotto opened her hands which started to make an orange glow.

Then she shouted "Scorch! Begone with you!" It was Firaga. She released the flames which engulfed the apparition and vanished.

She boasted with a big smile. "Easy. Far too easy!"

The trio heard footsteps and Firion asked if they were alright. "Oh, certainly. That despot of the undead was quite a warm-up for me."

He admired her enthusiasm. "Alright, then. Let's get moving." And the team marched on.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

In the stone chamber, there were two barred portals on the left side and above them was an engraved sign that read Epor. Next to that was a pillar with few valuable objects and there was a hole in the ceiling big enough for a person to fit in.

Luneth observed the objects which turned out to be an ancient parchment, a small silover bottle with a foul smelling odor, and a silver vial that shines with a lustrous glow.

Terra looked at the sign and wondered what it could mean.

He answered, "Well, we'll just have to find out." He took a deep breath and said "_Epor_!" and suddenly a rope dangled to the floor from the opening in the ceiling. "Hehe, just as planned." he said proudly.

"Good work, Luneth! Let's see what's up there." Firion said.

Everyone climbed up and saw three mirrors, a broom, and a descending staircase. Zidane and Bartz decided to stay behind without the others knowing.

"Hey, Bartz? Let's have some fun, shall we?" Just to pass the time, they started playing games using the mirrors.

* * *

The warriors came to a long, cold hallway lined with coffins. Luneth began to stutter. "Oooo. I don't like the looks of this."

Bartz spoke with glee. "Don't worry, buddy. Each coffin can hold many surprises. Maybe it could be treasure we need to defeat the warlock. Let's try and find out. Here's coffin number one."

A golden coffin on the right wall opened revealing a silk sack. Bartz opened it and he gathered three copper coins. "See. No worries. You won't know unless you try. Let's see what's in coffin number two..."

He opened the lid of a silver coffin and out came a mummy.

"Yikes!" Bartz fell on his butt and Tidus, Shantotto, and Luneth stood in front of him.

Tidus swung his sword at it and it countered as its bandages wrapped tightly around his body. He tried to speak but he could only mumble.

"Looks like it's up to us!" Luneth declared. "Breath of ice!" he spoke. He used Blizzaga as three enormous ice balls shot out at it.

Then Shantotto did the same and it dissipated along with the wrappings around Tidus.

Relieved to speak he said to himself, "You just can't talk in these things."

"Be grateful that you can." she retorted.

He grabbed a scepter and looked at the young knight shivering with fear. Luneth gulped and with shaky hands opened a coffin in the left wall. Then suddenly a banshee sprung out with a ear-piercing screech, frightening the child. He dropped his sword in horror and pleaded it to go away. Soon enough it did as he opened his eyes.

She chuckled. "My, my. You are the 'fraidey cat, aren't you?"

"Hey! It's not funny! I can still open the next coffin, you know!" he talked back. He did and slime sputtered out, some landed on him. It was acidic slime, burning his skin!

"Agggghhhh!" he screamed in pain.

In the nick of time Terra rushed toward him and immediately casted Poisona then Cure to heal his wounds.

"Ohhh...Thanks, Terra."

She nodded in appreciation and grinned. The gang headed south to a room with carved walls as if they were made by enslaved mountain dwarves.

* * *

As they approached, one room was each located on the side walls and another was a tunnel in the back wall. They headed straight and wound up in the same place where the floor collapsed.

Luneth muttered "Hmm. I think we might've misseed something before we came here."

"Allow me." Firion said as he pulled out his grappling hook and extended it to the other side.

Luneth climbed the rope over the abyss and wound up in the first room of the castle. He grabbed a key out from his pocket and unlocked the small right door which stored a sword and a sling. He made it back and followed the leader. Firion went to the left dor and walked into a cold room with the stench of decaying flesh. There was a wooden door to the left and a trapdoor made of polshed metal to the right.

Everyone noticed Terra's constant shivering. But it wasn't just the cold air she was feeling, she sensed that an evil prescence is close by.

"I don't see anything unusual. Come on, let's check this out." Luneth said.

With a shrill voice, Terra begged him to stop but he kept going in. She gave in as she tried to hold back the tears filling her eyes. Firion laid a hand on her right shoulder and assured her that he'll be fine.

They both proceeded and as they walked in, the door slammed shut with a thunderous bang. The others tried to open the door but it was no use. The trio were trapped!

* * *

Luneth desperately tried to lift the door, but it won't budge. He started to yell his friends' names, however, there was no answer. Firion and Terra looked ahead and they were shocked to see two red eyes peering from a dark tunnel. They also saw two crystal shards, a skeleton, and a coffin.

"W-what could that be?" Terra stuttered in fear.

Firion took out his Ragnarok and declared the beast to show itself. Provoked, the dragon let out its fire breath and Firion immediately took out his Ice shield. He raised it just in time to block it. Terra and Luneth uncovered their eyes and they stared in shock at the small puddle. Firion heard the dripping and looked down. He looked back up and the source was his shield. It started to melt under the intensity of the dragon's breath.

Both Luneth and Terra each shot Blizzaga at the dragon but it had no effect against the flames. Firion raised his shield again and it began to melt in chunks. The shield was falling apart! Soon he was holding nothing and he signaled the girl and the young knight to march forward.

"Our Blizzard spells are useless!" Luneth panicked.

"And how can we defend ourselves without a shield!?" Terra asked shaking.

Firion took the initiative. "Listen to me. Our ice spells are worthless because we've been using them one at a time. Remember what I said about fighting as one? If we could use them together, we might stand a chance. Wait for my signal!"

They nodded and the dragon roared as he prepared to unleash its fury. "Wait for it...wait for it..."

Fire spewed toward the group.

"NOW!"

Firion and the Onion Knight held back with their Blizzagas, but Terra was too frightened to use hers. By each passing second the flames pushed toward them, and their powers were growing weaker. Firion looked back at Terra, her face as white as a sheet and yelled. "Listen! You have to use your powers to push back the flames!"

"I...I can't...!"

Luneth used all his strength to keep them from burning to death. Firion had enough energy to speak one last time. "You can do it! You have to!"

She squeezed her eyes shut and took a couple deep breaths. She opened them with full determination. "If I have to fight..."

She stepped closer to her companions, relaxed, and concentrated until her palms brightened blue. She formed it into a huge ball of ice and shot out toward the menacing flames. With the combined force it was still not enough. She tried all her might to push back, then she closed her eyes. When she opened them, they began to glow yellow and her body turned outfit dissapeared and she started to reveal her whole body. Her hair and skin were an eerie white color. She realized she was turning into an Esper!

She breathed heavily as she gained more strength. "No more running...I can protect everything."

Suddenly the grim reaper flashed before her eyes and she summoned all her courage. "I won't be defeated!"

At that moment, she pushed the devastating ball of ice back, slicing through the merciless fire. It kept going back toward the dragon in the tunnel, pushing it to the back wall. The beast couldn't stand it and eventually the whole tunnel lit up. In a matter of seconds there was an defeaning explosion, rumbling the walls and shaking the ground. Particles of dust fell from the ceiling but everything was still intact.

Terra dropped her arms and collapsed in a heap, while Firion and Luneth unshielded their eyes. They were stunned by the impact of the ice blast.

Everything fell silent and Luneth whispered "We..we've done it." Then he shouted "We've won!"

Firion nodded. "Yes. When we all work together, we can overcome any adversary. No matter how strong they are."

He looked down and grabbed Terra's hand. "You okay?" he said gently.

"Y-yeah..." she said as she stood up. She looked around in utter shock. "Did we..defeat it?"

"Yes. Because we all worked together. If we keep doing it, we'll soon defeat the warlock, and then we'll be able to go home."

Luneth chimed in. "We wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for you."

She shown the biggest grin on her face and thanked everyone for their encouragement.

"Firion!" A voice called from behind. It was Cecil, checking on the trio as he ran to them. Cloud followed suit. "You look alright."

"Of course! It was a piece of cake!" Luneth boasted.

"We should go and see what Shantotto and Prishe are up to." the Paladin suggested.

As he and Cloud walked away, Luneth asked "Terra...when you used your Blizzaga, you've changed. What was it?"

"That was an Esper." Firion answered. "It seems that she is half-human and half-Esper. That's probably how she got her mystical powers"

Her eyes grew wide as she gained insight. "Oh-Yes! At my homeworld, I remember meeting an Esper sealed in a statue telling me that was how my parents raised me. After the war of the Magi, no one was able to use magic besides the Espers, except me. That was why Kefka was so obsessed with me because all he wanted was the Espers' power and me as tools of destruction."

As a slave, she usually remembers war and death. Since her revival, she wanted to ease her pain. "But when he perished, they started to disappear, and I could still use them." Her face darkened when she thought about losing control of them.

As if reading her mind, Firion rested his hand on her shoulder and assured "That's why we have you. You use your powers for good, to protect us and fight against adversity, thanks to you. And after we beat the warlock, we can return home. Then everyone will welcome you with open arms."

She then explained about her reasons why she eagerly wanted to return home. She's not sure if she has anyone that will be waiting for her. She doesn't want anymore conflict, she wants to be home where it's usually peaceful and she doesn't have to fight anyone.

"Come on, guys! Let's get a move on here!" Luneth said impatiently. And so they trekked on to what new challenges lay ahead of them.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Meanwhile, back at the cold room, Shantotto and Prishe were examining a trapdoor.

"Hmm. I wonder what this lousy contrapton is used for." Prishe wondered as she opened the lid.

Inside was a ladder descending into a dark abyss. "Let me take a look, Doc."

Shantotto puffed angrily. "Grrr. You always want to do things your way. It's quite annoying, wouldn't you say?"

The white mage/monk shrugged. sighed. "Be my guest."

As her partner climbed down, her foot slipped as the rung broke. "Aaahhh!" She hung on to dear life as she climbed up from the cellar.

She dusted off her tunic and informed, "The ladder seems incomplete, it's quite fatal if you fall on your feet."

"That seems like sound advice, Doc." Prishe complemented. They both returned to the white room.

* * *

At the right room Tidus, Yuna, Vaan, and Lightning walked on the river bank as they saw a pond with blood-thirsty sharks and a lime-covered skeleton watching them with eyeless sockets.

As they approached, Tidus said excitedly "Ahhh. Now this place I can relate to. As a star ace, water is my specialty, you know."

Lightning scolded "Don't lose your head, water-boy. We must stay away from this lake and keep our heads on our shoulders."

The quartet marched on to a subterranean cascade where a waterfall descends into a cool, clean stream.

Vaan kneeled down and picked up some stones. "Hmm. Here's some great souvenirs."

Lightning looked at him blankly. "You really are a pack rat, aren't you?"

"Hey, you never know when we might need them."

She rolled her eyes and they continued forth to a cavern with damp walls. Vaan felt a chill run down his spine. "Whoa...now I know how Luneth feels about claustrophobia..." he muttered at the irregular structures.

He saw a big rock in between the walls and scratched his chin. "Hmm...I wonder if I can do...this!"

He threw a stone toward the rock and it left it dangling, revealing a sack filled with three jewels: a red gem, a white gem, and a blue gem. Vaan's face brightened as he gazed upon them. "Wow! This is every pirate's dream!"

Lightning grabbed his shoulder firmly to interrupt his reverie.

"Owww!"

"Will you stop fantasizing and concentrate on what's going on!?" She released her hold and Vaan followed after he let out a grunt.

Still examining the jewels, Vaan went back to the white room with the others. "Wait-hold on!" He ran to the cold room and found a small hole in the stone wall.

He took out the white gem and stuck it in. A small sphere appeared on top of the stand. He touched and it felt as cold as ice. He rushed past his friends to the pond and dropped the sphere. It froze instantly upon contact and he slowly treaded toward the skeleton. He took the key, thanked it, took the ice sphere, and headed back to the shore.

* * *

Back at the mirror room, Zidane and Bartz were making faces at each other. It was a contest to see who can make the scariest face to frighten the opponent. After each face, there were periods of laughter. A few minutes later, Vaan rushed to them and showed them his treasures.

"Wow! You're becoming quite the thief!" Zidane praised.

"I'm sure these jewels are very useful for something. I mean, you never know what you might find."

As quick as the wind, Zidane stole the red gem. Vaan looked down at his empty hand and Vaan yelled, "Wha-Hey wait! Give it back!"

The Genome threw toward the center mirrior, it shattered, and the shards of glass fell to the ground as they tinkeled. There was an iron door hidden from the debris.

"Nice shot, Zidane!" Bartz complemented.

"I wonder what's in there, since we don't have anywhere else to go."

As the trio marched forward, a shadowy hand reached out from the right mirror. It looked as if it were coming from a portal to another dimension. Unbenknownst, the hand grabbed the thief's tail and yanked him belly first to the floor.

Bartz and Vaan ran to him and grabbed his hands, pulling him away. With each passing second, they were losing their grip and the hand pulled the helpless Genome closer to the portal.

From the cellar Squall walked up and saw what was all the commotion about. He watched his friends stuggle then he aimed his gunblade and shot three times at the dark arm. It dropped him with a thud and it disappeared into the portal.

When Zidane was calm enough, he stood up and said "Whew! You saved my skin! Thanks!"

Squall informed him "Stay sharp, this isn't the time or place to be playing games."

The bashful thief rubbed the back of his head with a red hue on his cheeks. They moved on to the door which felt hot to the touch. With some elbow grease, the door slid open.

* * *

"Awww man. So this is what Hell fels like..." Zidane thought as he felt the intense heat.

Across was a massive stone bridge with raging flames on each side, and a door up ahead.

"We can't stay her for long, we have to act now!" Squall said.

Bartz marched up to the door and opened it. It flew open as a gust of wind knocked him back. Frightfully, he saw a flame horror towering over him. Thanks to Firion, he used his mimicking spell Blizzaga at it. Unfortunately it began to melt on contact.

Laguna wandered toward the group from behind as he muttered "This place is way hotter than-Whoa! What the heck!?"

He drew his bazooka and fired a laser beam at the beast, but it absorbed it. Even physical attacks were futile since it had a never-ending burning body.

Laguna panicked "It's no use. Our weapons and magic are worthless!"

When it was Vaan's turn to strike he scratched his chin, snapped his fingers indicating he has an idea, and dropped the ice sphere into the flames. With that, they disappeared in a flash of light and so did the fire drake, since there was no energy to feed it. The ground was now covered with a thick oil.

Vaan stretched "Whew! That's the end of that. No way we can restart this fire." Everyone sighed with relief.

"That was impressive!" Zidane cheered.

"Yeah! You're on a roll!" Bartz added.

"You know, you're not half bad...for a pirate, that is." Laguna chimed.

"Awww, it's nothing. You gotta do whatever it takes to be a sky pirate. It's worth taking many risks. That is my dream." he said as he covered his heart.

"Heh, sounds like w're not the only ones with dreams." Laguna said as he referred to Firion.

"Looks like you're all still intact." Sure enough it was him taking up the rear. "We've been looking everywhere for you guys. I'm just glad you're okay."

"No sweat, fearless leader." Zidane chirped.

"Come on, let's go. There's a long road ahead." And the team marched on.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Before they got to the next area, Bartz stopped with his head bowed. Zidane, Squall, Laguna, and Vaan looked at him, puzzled.

"What seems to be the problem?" Squall asked.

"N-no...It's nothing , really. I just kept thinking about the feather that I used to have."

_Oh, would you stop whining already?_ Squall thought.

"A feather? From what?" Laguna queried.

"It probably was from a Chocobo or something." His face brightened. "Wait a minute, that's it!"

He told them about his two closest friends: Boko and Galuf. He once saw a Chocobo seperated from its flock and they were both companions. He then rememberd Galuf, who was the old man who arrived on a meteor at a city named Tycoon. He was one of the Warriors of Dawn who once sealed Exdeath in a monstrous tree. He told him that his father was also a Warrior. Since then, they became best friends and Galuf came with Bartz to stop the monster from wreaking havoc over the world as the Crystals lost their later passed on after Exdeath defeated him. He started to reminisce about his parents, Dorgann and Stella, and his homeworld, Lix.

He took out hs crystal and murmured "I will return to you all, someday." referring to the people who will be waiting for him to return.

"Come on, Bartz. We can't wait forever." Zidane said anxiously.

"Coming!" Bartz ran to catch up.

* * *

They came to a deep, dark chasm as a sharp, cold wind fills the air. A wide bridge and a tunnel waited for them but before they crossed the bridge, a monstrous, bare-skinned troll appeared from the depths and hollered, "This bridge is mine! It'll cost you a gold coin to get past me."

Firion stepped forward, bowed his head, took out a coppercoin he found earlier and handed it to the troll's giant hand as he said "Very well."

The troll examined it, scratched his face, and laughed silently. "Mwa ha ha. The toll has just been increased to two gold coins." It showed its yellow fangs.

"What!?" Laguna outraged.

"You're trying to double-cross us!?" Zidane protested.

"Stay alert, Firion! This could be a trap! Get out of there!" Squall shouted.

Everyone drew their weapons, except Firion who handed the troll two of his remaining face turned beet red. "Hey! What's this? It isn't gold! Are you trying to cheat me!?"

Firion stuttered "B-but that's all I have-"

The troll picked up the bridge but just before it fell, Firion disappeared in a flash of light.

"FIRION!" Everyone cried for their lost friend.

Just when all seemed lost, he was teleported to their side of the chasm, with Cecil holding him.

"Cecil! Y-you've learned-"

He nodded "Yes, I remembered Teleport and Cure, thanks to Terra's incantations."

"Oh, Cosmos bless her." Firion grinned.

The Paladin took the offense and his eyes squinted as he looked at the concentrated and there was a vision of a target surrounding it. It was his White magic spell, Libra, to analyze the enemy's stas such as its strengths and weaknesses. According to Cecil, it was weak against Dark magic. So he instantly turned into his Dark Knight form. He first used Soul Eater to weaken it. "Darkness! Drink of anguish!" he chanted.

The troll tried to swap him off the cliff but he jumped in the air and landed on his feet.

"Now, Bartz!"

They both used Dark Flame and the troll fell silently to the abyss below. They listened, but there was no crash.

"Wow! You did it!" Zidane cheered.

"No...we did it." Cecil said.

"Yeah! We're on a roll! There's no way the warlock can stop us now!" Bartz bluffed.

"That may be, but we still have a long way to go."

A squeal was heard in the distance.

"Thanks for getting rid of the bridge, guys! Now how do you expect to get across!?" It was a foul-mouthed Prishe.

"We could stiill use Firion's hookshot." Vaan said with confidence. "Or, what we could use is-"

"You're luck to you have a Dragoon at your side." It was Kain.

As he folded his arms he recommended to use his Jump ability to carry the warriors to the other side of the chasm. Soon the heavy heroes used the hook's chain, while the lighter ones were lifted and brought to the other side. It was less exhausting for the Dragoon.

When everybody was accounted for Luneth said "We are all here."

"Because we're not alone." Squall added.

"Let us move forward!" Cecil led the team.

* * *

Tthe moon illuminated the courtyard with its silvery glow and an old, vast well made from stone and mortar stood at the left corner. The party heard a low growl and Prishe thought it was her stomach growling.

She put her skinny hand over it and felt nothing, realizing it could be something else making all that ruckus. In the distance she saw two red eyes in a dark doorway, and there emerged a cyclops ready for battle, with club in hand. It let out a war cry and charged toward her.

"Alright! Time for some fun!" She put her dukes up and flipped forward.

"EEEEYYYAHHH!" She landed a Howl Fist square in the groin and it retailiated by knocking her backward with its devastating club.

She recovered and landed on her hind legs. She looked back at Cecil, watching the fray. "It's time you should learn some pointers!" she said, referring to her White magic.

She healed herself, wiped her lips with the back of her hand, and challenged it by saying "I'm just getting warmed up!"

Her body turned white when she used Protect, to minimze herself against physical blows. Then she turned red as she casted Haste on herself, last she used Slow on the monster.

"Errrrrggh!" She stretched her back leg, focused her energy, leapt with her clenched fists and spinning body. It was so fast that no one could hardly see her.

"HYAHHH!" She used her 360-kick and made contact with its thick skull. The cyclops collapsed to the grass and she sensed that it's down, but not out.

"Now for the grand finale!" She stretched out her arms, raised them, and her hands illuminated with white energy. She held it over her chest and it enlarged until it was six feet in diameter. The ball shined across the battlefield, almost blurring everyone's eyes.

She screamed "Holy shi-takee!" as she released the spell toward the unconscious cyclops. As it made an impact it exploded, shaking the ground like a 6.5 earthquake.

When everything fell silent, Prishe puffed out her chest as she cheered "Thought you had me, didn't ya? Think again!"

The monk looked at the well and turned the crank. It spun rather easy and a bucket came up, hanging by a thick rope. "Oooo! I winder what this could be!"

Thinking to herself, she hoped it would be full of scrunchous food. However, there were gold gauntlets inside and Prishe clapped happily. "Hell yeah! Even better than food!"

As if on cue, her stomach rumbled. She held it embarassingly. "Ooopsie! I spoke too soon." She put on the guantlets and rushed ahead.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The adventurers arrived at a long, drafty hallway covered in a red carpet, along with a flight of stairs, two open doors to the left on the second floor, a torch overhead, and a locked door. They all sensed that the warlock is close by. Their nerves became uneasy, but they still forged ahead.

As they passed the first door, Luneth wandered in it. To his surprise, it was a library filled with books collecting almost five-hundred years of dust. Above the bookshelves was a human skull. He had goosebumps over his body as he thought what would it mean.

To the left was a sturdy desk with a closed drawer and a black book. He thought it was the same book he saw before, only larger. "**The Prophecy**" was written in gold, script letters on the cover. On the wall was a clear drawing of the Cornelia Isles, although it was incomplete. He realized it was where he started his travels for his crystal; this was not good.

He opened the book, but he couldn't read what was in there. It almost looked like Chocobo scratches. Next, he opened the drawer and saw some spectacles which looked like it was worn by an old man. He put them on and almost felt light-headed. When his vision cleared, he read the book.

"The light grows faint, the path winds round. Where life is lost, wisdom is found."

This reminded him about the unfortunate events after Cosmos's death. With a straight face, he read on. "The seed of the dream, fore the evil is free. Where the sword is hung, he must place the key."

_Dreams? Evil is free?_ He thought about Firion's dream and his determination to stop the warlock lord from summoning the behemoth.

He turned the page. "A bridge to from, amidst burning death. A demon to guard."

At the center of the page in bold letters, it read "**Motari Riseth**." As he read the two words aloud, the book vanished! Blinking his wide eyes, he stared at the place where the book was.

"Another magic spell? I'm getting pretty good at these." Just then, he saw a hole in the wall next to the bookshelf. He put in a red gem and it glowed as if it was on fire. The shelves slowly turned, revealing a secret passage. He went through.

* * *

Inside he saw a fireplace that has burnt out centuries ago in a brick wall. Across from it was a globe in a stand showing all of the known lands.

Could it be the distant worlds everyone lived in?

He could see a large continent in the center; he recognized it as his home, the Floating Continent, where he was raised as an orphan.

As he turned it there were castles, deserts, mountain ranges, forests, and every other landmark. He understood why Cosmos and Lamrik summoned him and his friends here. The behemoth is going to destroy his homeworld if freed.

Looking closer, there was a seam as he traced his hand on the equator. He tried twisting it, but to no avail. He then took a fire poker and a lustrous cup on the mantle. He casted Fire and logs began to spark. The room became warm and so he sat down on the floor to relax his aching feet. He opened one of the scrolls and read "Lands under the heavens, the key to the world."

In bold letters it said "**Terra Terrakk**."

_Terrakk, meaning crack?_ he thought.

As he said it the globe opened, uncovering a key and astonishment, he opened another scroll. "To move the sun from far to near, light is what the darkness fears. Instantum Illumina."

Nothing happened with that spell, but it bestowed hope on the little knight. With complete confidence, Luneth marched to the hallway and headed to the next room.

* * *

He smelt a kennel that was burnt, but there was no air for circulation. He started to cough and he heard a low, rumbling sound.

"Was that a furnace?" he said to himself.

He looked inside a cage and saw a mutated dog lunging toward it. He gasped and backed away so it wouldn't reach him. Fearing for his life, he made haste. He looked inside the kennel and there was a poisonus liquid inside. This was definitely the source of the stink. He also saw a horseshoe lying next to his right foot, and a testube and a few bottles on the shelves. He lifted a latch from the floor and appeared a hidden vial.

"This must be some kind of laboratory...maybe for witchcraft?" He thought about the Cloud of Darkness, but when the dog slammed on the cage that knocked him out of his daydream, he ran out.

The Onion Knight came to a garden with a big fountain in thr center. He examined the water and hesitated.

"No...this might be the slime again."

From the smell of it, he backed up and noticed there was a flute stuck in it. He used Blizzard and the water froze. He snatched the flute and started to play it. It was music to his ears and when he looked back, he saw a hole in the tree with a ring inside. Feeling he has nothing else to do, he ran back to the hallway and headed straight for the door.

Inside was a banquet of some sort. At the top floor, he saw a chest and a mirror, with three doors locked. When he stepped toward a door, he heard a tingling noise, as if there was something metal underneath. He removed the rug, and found a key. He used it on the door in the middle and saw two arched doorways already open.

He went right and a thunderstorm with gusts of wind loomed from outside. He headed further and saw a pot and a sack. He opened it and saw a big coin and three gold coins. "Well it's about time!" he said triumphantly.

He examined the pot, but it was a trap! The ledge gave way but his hand was grabbed by Firion.

"I got you!" he said over the roaring wind.

He pulled him up and was grateful that he found him. "We should go, I don't like where the wind and the lightning are going."

Luneth thought that with all his weapons and armor, Firion would be a human lightning rod. They rushed inside and went to the left door.

* * *

In it were two tall torches and a horn on the floor. The cool breeze blew against their faces, but they still felt a little hot. Reaching for the horn, fire ignited out from the hole. When they opened them, they saw a Flamehound which made the room hotter. "

The two of us can't stand a chance against this monster!" Luneth reasoned.

"True, but remember what I told you." Firion said.

He did about combining their powers together. The two unleashed their prowess and the hellhound vanished with a burst of flame. Luneth took the horn and he and Firion pressed on.

At the third door they saw a sphinx glaring at them, with the body of a lion and the head of a man.

"A sphinx! They usually appear when there is a riddle to be solved." Firion said suprisingly.

"I wonder what it could be?" Luneth asked.

The sphinx spoke "Who are you? No one may pass without my permission. First, you must answer this riddle. 'I'm a fire's friend, my body swells with wind. With my nose I blow, how the embers glow!"

"Huh. That's odd. He's got me stumped." Luneth gave in.

Firion was still curious. "Could it be a phoenix...or some other entity?"

"Dost thou know? Bring me the riddle and you shall pass."

"Wait a minute!" Onion Knight's eyes brightened and took out bellows he found from the fireplace. The sphinx smiled with its shiny fangs gleaming.

"You've answered it correctly, warrior. Thou shall pass."

"I don't know what we'd do without you, kid!" Firion said proudly. He patted his back and Luneth blushed.

On the way up the stairs, there was an observatory with a telescope and a star map on the wall. A scroll was laid on a wooden, round table and a ladder ascended through the ceiling. Luneth opened the scroll. "Observing the stars: The throne constellation appears once every five summers. Legend says that it's a portal to a foreign land."

He gazed on the star map and took it. There was a seam at the side of it, so he opened it revealing a rod. "Star? Rod? This could be useful."

Firion reminisced about how Cecil mentioned his Lunarian heritage. He suddenly almost forgotten him and rushed up the ladder.

"Firion, wait!" Luneth trotted behind him.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Cecil, Cloud, Tifa, and Kain were watching a woman trying to seduce them with her slow movements. Apparently the Paladin has been affected while the others stayed cautious as if it were some sort of an odd trick. As he became more intrigued he walked closer to it and reached out a hand.

In a matter of seconds the woman dissolved and a wolf appeared in her place. It lunged onto him with its strong teeth, biting on his flesh. He struggled to break free until Kain jumped onto its back.

"Cross the heavens...Bow down!" The Holy Lance impaled its body. He grabbed the blade next to the lifeless beast, but he fears that it could bounce back at any second. It let out a howl and three Lobos appeared.

Cloud and Tifa rushed in to help. He and Cecil diced the two, while Tifa sicced onto the third one. They dissipated but they appeared again!

"I thought we defeated them." Tifa said in horror. "

The main wolf is what summons them, we should destroy her first." Cloud strategized.

They alternated between the Lobos and the wolf, and after a while she faded along with her colleagues. After the battle, the Paladin learned Shell, Protect, and Raise. He cured everyone and the team went.

* * *

As they headed back to the banquet they heard the cries of Firion and Luneth as they were fighting a horrid beast from above. At the turret, a fearsome blue dragon appeared. The wounded warriors continued to fight until they collapsed from its menacing blows.

Luneth dropped the star and Cecil casted Raise on each of them. Kain jumped onto its back and it screeched as it tried to shake him off. He pierced the Holy Lance into its flank and he immediately jumped back onto the cement as he started to lose his grip.

Cloud casted Meteorain, Luneth used Comet, and Firion threw the star. Instantly the wyvern exploded into smithereens. Luneth took the talisman and they were on their way.

Back at the balcony the storm raged on. Luneth took out the rod and placed it on a stand at the right corner. Suddenly lightning struck it and, for an instant, the sky appeared to be on fire. When it cleared a wand was laid next to the boy's feet.

The comrades heard tiny footsteps and looked down to see Shantotto. "Aha! There you are. I never knew you would go this far."

"Shantotto, where have you been?" Firion asked.

"Oh, haven't you heard? This may seem to be quite absurd. Why Prishe has finally crossed the bridge."

"She did it!" He said with glee. "Thanks, Shantotto."

"Don't thank me, thank Prishe. Although you can appreciate me if you wish."

They headed all the way back to the chasm where the two bridges were. Suddenly Luneth drank a bottle and...he started to float, it was quite starnge since he was never able to use Float on himself!

* * *

"Come on, damn you! Come and get me!" Prishe threw her tantrums at the green snake. Her frustration was so great that she didn't realize it was only a statue.

"Hey! You looking for me?"

"That little runt...How did you get here!?"

"I was light enough to cross the bridge. Perhaps you need some help." Luneth waved his wand and the snake began to shrink. As it disappeard, it became a long crimson staff. "See. It was real easy, too."

Prishe hugged and squeezed him tightly, nearly smothering him "Oh, you rascal! I can't thank you enough! I can surpass Doc using this."

"Urrgh...Please don't kill me." Luneth pleaded under his breath.

* * *

"Epor, Terrakk, Motari, Ilumina!"

"Will you please stop saying that!" Firion scolded the child.

"I'm sorry I just can't stop saying them. They all sound like powerful spells that may defeat the warlock. I so can't wait to face him."

"You? Excited to face the real enemy!? Since when are you so determined?" Prishe asked in shock.

As they touched a stone corner where the Epor sign was, they ended up in a stone room with a dripping ceiling and a pedestal with a hole in it.

"Could this gem do the trick?" He placed the blue gem on it and an image of a wizard appeared in the back wall.

"Is that...Lakmir?" Firion asked with astonishment.

"Listen, warriors! The warlock lord can only be defeated by thy courage and the staff of ages. Remember, five to find. Three for the staff, one to be the key, and one to be the pathway. Have your wits about thee, warriors! Farewell!"

The image vanished and Luneth was grateful that he found the staff for Prishe.

_But five to find..._ he thought. "Could it be the gems?"

He looked down and a scroll appeared, he opened it and it said "As the shadow of the wind, thou shalt be! Humana!"

Firion decided to head back to the place they previously stopped at.

* * *

As they headed back to the chasm, the troll appeared. He demanded for one gold coin.

"Eat this, you rotten geezer. Humana!" Luneth chanted and everyone turned invisible.

Its head turned as he attempted to figure out where his 'friends' went. They were able to slip by without any hassles with Float from Prishe.

Firion, Luneth, and Prishe stood before a skeleton wearing a gold crown sitting on a throne. The strangest thing was that it didn't seem to move or speak. Firion gave the specter to it and the right pillar lowered. A small hole was seen and he used the ring which lifted the skeleton, revealing a secret passage.

The gang descended to a hallway with large granite slabs. They headed straight and saw a gargoyle on each pedestal guarding a small passageway.

With a strange feeling, Luneth told Firion and Prishe not to go straight, as they would awaken the beasts. So they decided to go right instead.

They saw a statue made of all types of metal holding a basin of coals. About twenty feet below, lava started to bubble. They can feel the heat from it.

Luneth was busy contemplating. "Fire, metal, mortar. Hey! That's it!" He took a deep breath and cried "Motari!"

The statue lowered and a skinny passage rose from the lava. They went straight across to a room full of stalactites.

They surrounded this room as if they were in a mouth of a huge beast. A wooden handle was located on the right wall Luneth started to play around with it. At first he pressed down the second handle, then the first, then the third. Nothing happened.

He played with the handle some more. This time, he tried the right one, then the middle...

"Oops!" Realized he might've made a mistake he raised the right one and suddenly the cylinder lifted and there was a loud screech. The hole in the center must've been a resting place for a gigantic monster. A silver orb appeared next to his feet.

Prishe was all agog. "Luneth! I'm so sorry I underestimated you! You're brilliant! Hoho!"

"I'm so clever I amaze myself." he boasted.

When he headed back to the gargoyles he chanted "Illumina!" A blinding light burned their eyes and Luneth and the others ran without detection.

They came across an old, sealed well.

"Hey, you know when you drop a coin into a well you make a wish?" Luneth said.

"That's just baby stuff. No one believes it anymore!" Prishe pouted.

"Geez, you're such a downer." The Onion Knight dropped the big coin after he made a wish to himself.

Suddenly, there was a huge gust of wind erupting from the well. It blew Luneth back on his bottom and Firion decided to jump.

"Ready?"

He grabbed Prishe's and Luneth's hands as they gently descended to the bottom. They stood at a beach approximately fifty miles high from a river. A gong stood to the left. Luneth hit it and an unfriendly spectre on a wooden raft appeared asking for a fare.

"I guess these gold coins are good for something." Firion said. It spoke to quickly board the raft.

* * *

On the opposite bank they saw a skull on the far corner, screaming silently. They had a strong feeling they were standing on hallowed ground and the enemy was near.

To calm his nerves, Luneth opened a scroll. "Five to find, three are one. One gives access, the bladed sun. The silver orb, to banish below. The staff of ages to vanquish the foe. Joining the two. the golden blade. The last to invoke, the platinum horn."

"Platinum horn, silver orb, staff of ages. I got 'em all!" Luneth cheered.

In the first slot, Firion placed the talisman, the bladed sun. Then Luneth played the horn, the sound echoed loudly in his ears. When they stopped ringing, he heard a grinding sound and the skull's jaw started to drop. Hot wind whooshed toward the comrades as if it was breathing.

"Well, looks like you finally did it." Zidane said as he walked to the little group.

"Don't ask, but we managed to get here thanks to a good friend of ours." Bartz pointed to the wounded phantom.

"What're we waiting for? Let's go after the warlock!" Vaan chirped.

"Not until we get some rest. We should face the warlock later." Lightning added.

* * *

**A/N: That chapter with the she-wolf and the Lobos, it was inspired by my visit to Great Wolf Lodge. Whether you're at home or away, you can get inspiration wherever you are, how awesome!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: This chapter is very sentimental. It has some info about the past lives of each of the Dissidia characters. This should be perfect before the ultimate battle against the warlock. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

The warriors made camp and later only Lightning, Firon, and Cecil were talking to each other. Firion looked at the wild rose in his hand with a grim face.

"What's wrong, Firion?" Lightning asked.

"Ah...It's the wild rose. I can't stop looking at it."

His face lit up as he asked Cecil to leave him and Lightning alone. "I need to speak with Lightning personally, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. I'll see you two when we awake." Cecil stood up and walked to the slumbering warriors and settled down.

Thoughtfully, Lightning looked at her friend and asked, "You seem to have a lot on your mind. Why don't you just spit it out."

He sighed. "Lightning, you know about the wild rose that Laguna found?"

"Yes."

"The reason I became obsessed with it is...I knew it had some kind of meaning. I've been thinking about my dream, about ending the conflict and a world blooming with wild roses. That no matter what we've lost, we would still have hope, that even the wind and the rain could provide us with strength. But...it seems like there was more than that. I've realized what I have forgotten." he paused.

"And that is...?"

"The words 'wild rose'. It was named after a rebellion I once belonged to, along with my best friends. It was an organization that fought against the Palamecian Empire and brought peace to the world...just like my dream."

She smiled. "I knew that memory will come back to you eventually."

He looked at her. "And what about you, Lightning? Have you found out about your vision of the rose petals, dancing in the wind?"

She gasped at her revelation. "Yes, I have! It reminded me of someone I loved very much."

She hesitated and in a few seconds she went on. "His name was Snow. He was at first in love with my younger sister, Serah. But he also had a connection with me. I was mad when I found out that he was in love with her and promised to be by her side, no matter what it cost. A few years later, she'd been crystalized and eventually...his determination rubbed off of me. He made a promise that we will find my sister soon. At that time, he proposed to me. I was afraid to accept it becuase I thought he was still in love with Serah. But after we reunited, I decided to take that chance. And during the ceremony, that was when I saw rose petals swirling in the wind. It was so beautiful..." She started to reminisce of the event.

"Light...so it really does have a connection after all." Firion said. "Oh! You want it back, dont you?" He handed her the rose and she thanked him.

She stood up and walked away but before she reached her friends, she turned. "Oh, by the way, my real name isn't Light...It's Claire. I've changed my name so that I had the determination to save my sister...since she was all that I had."

She thought about the loss of her parents. With her head bowed she left Firion, sitting alone next to the skull.

* * *

In the farthest corner of the room, Cloud looked at the Buster Sword while he rubbed his fingers over the blade. All of his memories were starting to come back to him.

During a flashback he was laying over his best friend's, Zack's, bloody body after he willingly took his own life to save him against Shinra soldiers. He said that his legacy will live on upon his passing as he gave him his sword. His memory ended as he looked at it glumly.

Suddenly, he couldn't stop thinking about him. He couldn't believe that all this time, his dreams and honor were passed down to him. He felt some comfort when they've been justified after he'd beaten Sephiroth, and then Chaos.

Some footsteps were heard walking towards him. A shadow loomed over him, he looked up, and it was Tifa. "Quite in a pensive mode, aren't we, Cloud?"

"Hmmm...Yeah."

She sat down next to him and stretched out. "You know, we should get some sleep before we face the warlock. You think he's behind that door?" she asked as she pointed to the skull.

"Perhaps. But can we beat him?"

"Hehe, of course. It would be just like old times. Remember how you saved me from Sephiroth and you told me that you felt like it since you were on Chaos's side?"

His head bowed with his face even more glum.

"Hey, what's with the long face? You do remember me, don't you? I certainly did when we had our first mission together."

He had a flashback of a younger Tifa playing in the grass when the sun was shining in a cloudless sky. Cloud was watching from a dark room at the top floor of his house. He admitted that, even though they weren't close, he became jealous as she played with her friends. During their childhood, she was Cloud's next door neighbor in their hometown, Nibelheim. Her first adventure was travelling to Mt. Nibel to find her mother after she died.

"We got ourselves in big trouble that day." she giggled. "But I haven't seen you since...until I joined AVALANCHE and met you at Midgar. You once told me that you felt sad after you joined SOLDIER as an infantryman. However, you were acting very strange because you were injected by the Jenova cells and you had Mako poisoning, so I decided to keep an eye on you. Speaking of which you were once manipulated by Sephiroth and your mind just completely...shattered, you know. "

She remembered travelling inside Cloud's mind to restore his memories of the burning of their homeworld, his determination to join SOLDIER to impress her, and her childhood event climbing the mountain. He started to remember her attempts to explain the truth behind Sephiroth, Zack, and how he was defeated to begin with in the Lifestream.

"Yes. I'm starting to remember now. But what I found out was...Sephiroth wasn't always like this. He was a member of SOLDIER, just like me. It was Professor Hojo who explained to him that Jenova was his mother, but truthfully, it was Lucrecia Crescent. She was injected by the cells like us and he became insane from them. He once believed that Jenova, an extra-terrestrial, was his ''real' mother."

He also remembered of him wanting to become a 'god' and his attempts to destroy the world. Cloud and Tifa both became astonished as they discussed the information.

After a long pause, he reassured her that she shouldn't worry about Sephiroth anymore, since he and Chaos perished when the war was over.

"Cloud...I just...couldn't thank you for all you've done. But I guess I should show you...how grateful I am." she whispered.

She turned his face toward her and they slowly drew closer and closer until their lips touched.

* * *

While he watched them kiss, Zidane reminisced about his past.

His first memory was a "blue light" during his birth. After all that time, he still couldn't remember what it meant. He was created as a Genome from Terra by a scientist, Garland, and remembered fighting him after he revealed his purpose as an "Angel of Death.". It was his attempt to destroy the people of another world, Gaia.

He also had his memories of Kuja who was also a Genome, and thought to be the true "Angel of Death." At first Garland wanted it to be Kuja, but since he was created as an adult, he wasn't fully developed. So, in Kuja's jealousy, he created Zidane who was younger and more capable than his rival. And then Garland was killed by Kuja, and he and Zidane have been bitter enemies ever since.

He then saw the inhabitants who looked exactly like him with blonde hair and monkey-like tails. He supposed that if Zidane fails, there would be other "Angels of Death" to do his job of genocide. He then thought about saving Kuja from dying and being swallowed by an enormous tree.

Before being full of grief of what he was truly created for, he remembered a beautiful woman he once met during a performance from the Tantalus Theater Troupe; he realized her name was Princess Garnet and the place they met was Alexandria. He felt remorseful as this was where he was supposed to abduct her; fortunately, he didn't.

As he looked up at the ceiling, he then wishes to see her upon his return.

* * *

Laguna and Squall were found discussing about their memories. Squall had just remembered, though Laguna knew, that he was raised in an orphanage by a woman named Edea. He once dreamt of her being possessed and he immediately realized it was Ultimecia.

He then saw another girl, Rinoa, in a field of flowers and recognized her as one he cherishes the most. He began to see his friends who helped face the sorceress in the past: Quistis, his former instructor as a SeeD student, along with his classmates Zell, Selphie, and Irvine.

He then had a short nightmare when he faced his rival in a bloody duel, Seifer. As he awoke, Laguna told him that everything he dreamt was real. He questioned him and explained that they first met at the Lunatic Pandora together putting a stop to Ultimecia and her Time Compression. He was once a soldier himself, along with his friends, Kiros and Ward. He told him that his dream was to become a journalist, documenting every event in the world.

While he was fighting against Esthar soldiers he was seperated and later met Raine and her daughter, Ellone. He also told him when he proposed to Raine, Ellone was captured by Sorceress Adel. He tells him that they were watched over at the same orphanage Squall was at. He then tells him that Squall was his son, which he denied it.

* * *

Kain couldn't wait to return to his homeworld, Baron. He just recollected all of his deep memories, including those he spent with his friend, Rosa, and even all the events that happened during his betrayals.

The first thing he'll do as soon as he returns home is to reunite with his people and head to Mt. Ordeals to atone his sins. But something else was bothering him. He remembered destroying the portal to the Rift. He wanted to help his allies end the war between Cosmos and Chaos. He thought all he did was for nothing. The war may have ended, but why was he revived and brought here?

Cecil answered that it was what Cosmos wanted to do. It's what Cosmos said before they went to Stormhaven, then to Shadowgate. She made a promise that when they defeat the warlock lord, they'll return home, together. Everyone in their homeworld will be waiting for them. Even he got his memory back after he arrived to this dire place of death.

Because of the vows he made with his friends, he's very confident that together they'll defeat the warlock and return home safely, along with his brother he'd hoped.

* * *

Eavesdropping on everyone's conversations, Vaan remembered of his homeworld, Dalmasca, and how he was living in the Lowtown slums. He wishes that when he returns, he wouldn't have to live in these poor conditions. As his dream of being a sky pirate, he can live wherever he wants and become a free man. He will also reunite with his childhood friend, Penelo, and maybe live a new life together.

Shantotto wishes to return to her people in Tarutaru, where she will make plans for her vacations during her retirement. She also wishes to write her memoirs about her life and, most of all, her many adventures. Especially those on protecting Cosmos and now.

When Prishe returns home, all she wants to do is have a feast of her favorite foods and pig out at the Cathedral. She also hoped that she would be immortal again after defeating the warlock, and after a few minutes of reverie, she was disappointed that she can only return home instead of being granted eternal life.

* * *

Yuna was looking at the sleeping ace, snoring loudly. She remembered the first time she met him, when she was able to become a summoner and use Valefor as her first Aeon in the Besaid temple.

Their times together flashed before her eyes, even the times when they discussed about their parents facing Sin ten years ago, and when they laughed together at Luca. It was quite embarassing but at least she cheered him up, after all she wanted the world to be full of laughter, rather than sadness.

Her relationship with Tidus and her determination grew stronger amongst her pilgrimage. She also reminisced of the sad times, like when she found out that Tidus was only a dream of the Fayth. He dissipated at the airship, Fahrenheit, after they destroyed Sin at Zanarkand.

Even the time when she saw Jecht and Tidus confronting each other, she wished that Tidus would recognize her and that she could restore his memories.

She hoped by the time they head back to Spira, she wold reunite with him and start a life anew. She was the last one to stay awake and then she eventually went into a restless slumber, along with the other warriors.

* * *

"Okay! Are we all ready?" Tidus cheered as soon as everyone faced the skull where the warlock lurked.

"Yes, but we must stay on high alert and...there is always strength in numbers." Squall informed.

"Now you're talking!" Laguna grinned as he loaded his bazooka.

"What're we waiting for?" Vaan asked with glee.

"This should be fun!" Zidane beamed.

"We should pay attention to Squall but I can't wait to see this through." Bartz shrugged and ran to catch up with the others.

"Our hearts shall not waver." Cecil said with determination.

"We should see this through to the very end, until our strength is no more." Kain jumped toward the opening.

"I will use my powers and courage to defeat this evil, once and for all." Terra covered her heart and walked with her head held high.

"I'm not so upbeat about this conflict..." Cloud muttered.

Tifa looked at him with gentle eyes and held his hand into hers. "But...what choice do we have?"

He faced his best friend and she smiled. Together, they stepped inside the skull.

Tidus took a deep breath and spoke from the bottom of his heart. "Yuna..."

She looked at him with fear on her face.

He layed his hand on her shoulder and whispered. "I'll always be with you, in body and spirit. Until death does us apart. And if you whistle for me, I'll come running."

She tried to hide her tears and she nearly choked on a sob. "Tidus! You do remember!"

He nodded with a big smile. "Let us fight this thing together...like we did with Sin!"

"Yes! Let's!" The two stepped forward and disappeared into the darkness.

"Well, kid, it's time to put your smarts to the test. You up for it!?" Prishe said with excitement.

"I will fight with everything I have." Luneth nodded.

"Hm hm. Isn't it swell. You know what they say: All's well that ends well." Shantotto wobbled toward the skull's maw.

"I'll fight you..to the very end!"

"I'm with you, Firion." Lightning smiled at him, then she shot out her pistol and marched with a stern face.

He drew his Ragnarok out and he was the last one to not look back.


End file.
